It's been around 20 years since I played at the Air Capital Open. Much has changed. In particular "Dart Connect", the technology (For lack of a better word with more robust meaning) that runs the event brackets.
Along with announcing board calls, all participants get texts, or emails telling them the number of the board they are going to play on. This saves time because everybody gets the information at once. Normally the tournament spends 15-20 minutes reading off all the matches over a loud speaker. You could play your match before it's is announced. How cool is that? It really speeds things along.
Also since the scoring is kept and reported electronically via a "tablet", the results are reported at the speed of light ...(well almost). There is no balking at turning in the score sheet between matches. A couple times I hit the "Save Match" button and got a board call 5 seconds later.
I like that Dart Connect emails you the match details As they say; "You learn more when you lose, than when you win. So I'll go over my singles match loses.
My Semi Final Match against Leonard Gates. I knew a best of 9 would be tough. I just took it one leg at a time. Didn't think it would go 4-4. Too bad it wasn't best of 3. Would nerves have gotten to me, and i would have played like game 9 instead of game 3. Who knows, but here's what really happened.
Can't Believe it's been 20 Years since I played at the Air Capital Open in 1998. (Am I old, wait don't answer that) Is it surprising to see players playing in 2018 that played in 1998. I saw a few. It begs the question. How many people who were there in 1998, also played in 1978. Or for that matter who played in 1978 played in 2018.
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2. A lot of people would close 20's, but that is throwing at a closed number. At this level you have to close and score on the numbers. In other words I don't want to throw s20, s20, t20 for a 5 mark and have it count for 3. So I counter by throwning at 19. Not what I hoped, but I closed it.
3. Tom with the advantage of the bigger number scores and trys to close 18 following the rule of not throwing at closed numbers.
4. Now behind on points a lot of people would point on 19s. The thing is Tom is gaining some real estate. If I can get 5x18 I can close another number and regain the point lead. Even 3x18 eliminates the possibilty of Tom hitting the triple 18 with one dart, there by closing and scoring 36 points. Which is what happened.
5. Tom throws one 18s to close, and two more 20's for points.
6. Behind 60 points I have to throw for points. I'm going to need a 4 mark to get the point lead. While throwing at 17 would follow the convention the way the game has gone. I would need a 7 mark to get the point lead because it's not closed yet. So I went 19's and hitting the first triple of the match and 95 points.
7. Tom throws one 20.
8. What a break. I have the point lead, and equal amount of numbers. So I have the opportunity to close the 20. which I did, and moved on to 17's. In hind sight I should have gone for points since I had the advantage of having the biggest number to point on. But I had 2 darts to close 17s. Even hit two 17's is a good Idea. there is a big diffence in a point war in needing 1 mark to close a number with one dart, instead of needing 2 marks with one dart. It's practically needing 3 marks with one number unless you throw at doubles in a cricket game. but I missed and hit one 17
9. Tom throws two 17's
10 Another break. I throw two 17's to close, and one 16. Instead of 16 that should have been at 19
11. Tom throws four 16's to close getting the point lead, and closes 17's with his last dart. Had I hit a 19 instead of 16 last round I might have still had the point lead. With just mark on 16's more than likley it's going to get closed by hitting the triple.
12. I'm not sure what I did here. I imagine I got the point lead back by hitting triple 19 first dart then missed the next two darts. This is my Achilles heel lately. First dart triple miss, miss. ...or maybe I went miss, miss, triple?
13. Tom throws s16, t16, then s19. (Get out of my 19's!)
14. At 8 points down I just need one score. All I really need are for all 3 darts to count, 19 for points, then two 16's to close. I'm not sure in what order the darts were thrown, but once again I hit with one and missed the next two. In the last two rounds I've scored with 2 darts, and Tom scored with all 6. This the mental part of the game.
15. Tom throws s16, t16, then t19. to close.
16. A nine mark would help, but two 15's is what I came away with.
17. Tom throws three 15's to close. I'm sure he wanted T15, D25, 25 for the game, but new it's a game of numbers vs. Bulls.
18. I throw three Bulls
19. Tom throws T16, SB. While he has all the numbers closed and the point lead. one score of 16 makes me have to hit another bull.
20. I throw three Bulls for a slight lead
21. Tom throws T16, s16 for 64. (Everytime he has thrown at 16 he hit a triple 16 in that round).
22. I throw miss, miss Double bull for 50, not enough to counter Tom's 64 for the round.
23 Tom thows a double bull for the leg, winning by 2 points. Looking back I got to say I missed the opportunity by not using the 19 when I had it.
Game 2 Review
I ran out of triples. Or maybe my his triple container was bigger than my and had more in it? 4.4 Marks per round to my 3.0 Marks per round.
"There's not a hope
While you're in this kind of mood
Too much to drink
But not enough to lose
You tore me apart
Now I've got to suffer
I wish I'd been around when you started this"
- Electronic "Forbidden City"
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